Dissident (2026): Cast, Story and Release Details

Prepared by Movies Dock Editorial

Set in 1960s Ukraine, Dissident follows Oleg, a former Ukrainian Insurgent Army soldier released from a prison camp after an amnesty agreement. Returning to a society shaped by war and Soviet rule, he struggles to find a place in peacetime life.

Dissident is a Ukrainian drama set in the 1960s, during a period when people across the Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc were reconsidering the socialist system. Its central character, Oleg, returns home after years of imprisonment and faces the difficult reality of life after conflict.

The film focuses on his attempt to adapt to peacetime Ukraine following an amnesty deal. With its historical setting and personal point of view, Dissident places one man’s uncertain return against the wider aftermath of World War II and the political tensions of the era.

Dissident movie details

Story without spoilers

Oleg is a former soldier in the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, an organization that fought both Nazi Germany and the communist Soviet Union for Ukrainian independence during World War II. After an amnesty agreement leads to his release from prison camp, he returns to Ukraine.

Back in civilian society, Oleg discovers that freedom does not immediately provide a clear future. He tries to rebuild his life and establish a place for himself in peacetime, but the transition proves difficult. The story follows that struggle without revealing how his circumstances develop.

What to expect

Dissident is presented as a historical drama centered on displacement, political change and the challenges of returning home after imprisonment and war. The period setting connects Oleg’s personal difficulties to the broader reassessment of socialism taking place in the 1960s Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc.

The premise suggests a character-driven account of postwar readjustment, with the Ukrainian setting and Oleg’s background shaping the film’s central conflict. It is a 95-minute drama in Ukrainian.

Cast and creative team

Oleksandr Pryshchepa plays Oleg, with Dariia Tvoronovych as Natalka, Dmytro Yaroshenko as Taras, Viktoria Romashko as Vilena and Vasyl Mazur as Fr. Vasyl. The film is directed by Andriy Alferov and Stanislaw Gurenko. Its screenplay is credited to Vladislav Mitsovski, Aleksandr Kachan and Andriy Alferov.

• Oleksandr Pryshchepa as Oleg
• Dariia Tvoronovych as Natalka
• Dmytro Yaroshenko as Taras
• Viktoria Romashko as Vilena
• Vasyl Mazur as Fr. Vasyl

Release and production context

Dissident is a 2026 film from Ukraine with Ukrainian as its spoken language. It has a runtime of 1 hour and 35 minutes and is classified as a drama. The supplied release date is September 3, 2026. Production companies are Joyfilms and the Ukrainian State Film Agency.

Production companies: Joyfilms, Ukrainian State Film Agency

Movies Dock view

With its 1960s Ukrainian setting and focus on a former insurgent’s return from prison camp, Dissident approaches history through the uncertainty of one person trying to resume civilian life. The film’s compact runtime keeps its premise focused on the personal consequences of war, imprisonment and political change.

Film data:
TMDB · IMDb